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alcatel usb modem not worth your money
Authored by: bkpanda on Aug 01, '02 07:15:10PM

Getting the usb alcatel modem running on a mac is especially hard compared to the other ethernet modems available. Even the software drivers aren't available for the modem...os X is supported, but only in the UK and other euro countries. The main difference is that the ethernet card is supplied inside the usb modem. The physical dsl line connects into the usb modem, which then connects to the usb port of a computer. The alcatel engineers expect this to be the "easiest" installation solution for 1st time dsl buyers because you simply "plug and play" so to speak. You don't have to open your computer and install confusing hardware. What the engineers didn't anticipate is that alcatel usb modem causes a lot more system conflicts and unstability in WinXP and other OSes (due to lack of support/drivers). Home networking is almost an impossibility with the usb modem. If you're planning to share DSL with your other home computers, I can't stress enough how important it is to get an ETHERNET modem...not the USB

For new dsl buyers and people who will be purchasing new dsl modems soon....i HIGHLY recommend NOT getting the USB modem. Me and my computer engineering friends had a very hard time getting the "surprisingly easy" modem to work on the WinXP software when that OS first came out. And WinXP has an exponentially larger amount of support references and software available on the internet. I've been searching for about 3 days and all I could find is the driver mentioned ^^ up there (UK alcatel driver) for the OS X.

Anyways, good luck with the networking



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I agree - don't go near the Speedtouch USB
Authored by: rahoulb on Aug 14, '02 08:04:34AM
i'm in the uk, and since I got it I've been getting kernel panics at least once or twice a day - uininstalling and using my dial up restores OSX to rock solid stability. a couple of weeks ago i finally got hold of the updated drivers (1.6) - now i merely get kernel panics every other day. and this thread here, on adslguide.org.uk suggests that these drivers won't work with jaguar, so i'm saving up for an adsl modem/router. B.

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